1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of games. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for a throw-and-catch game of elimination played by a single player or by multiple players.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatuses are well known for playing a game of throw-and-catch for one or more players.
A variety of articles have long been used for the simple game of catch. The object of this game is to throw the article and complete a catch without it dropping to the ground. Depending on the location and speed of the throw, the skill level required for a successful catch can become substantial but the activity is strictly physical and does not require much thought.
Various novel, easy-to-catch ball designs have been shown in the prior art. “KOOSH” type balls reduce the skill required for a successful catch by allowing the fingers to burrow into the material. Other designs use “VELCRO” type hook-and-loop fastening material on the ball and a catching surface causing the caught ball to stick on the surface, removing the need for timing the closure of the hand. These designs reduce the skill required for a successful game of throw-and-catch, making them more suitable for younger and less skilled players.
The addition of sound and lights to conventional balls is also well known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,011 to Dykstra discloses a ball with an enclosed flashtube and sound annunciator that are triggered when the ball is bounced. U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,069 to Matsumoto discloses a talking football that plays voice messages and sound effects when caught. Since these light and sound responses are triggered by simple bouncing or catching, and not by a specific and controllable action of the player, interest quickly diminishes.
Another well known throw-and-catch game is “hot potato”. The object of this game is to pass an object between players and to not be holding the object when the time expires or the music stops. U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,650 to Glass discloses a toy bomb comprised of a mechanical timer and sounding device. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,890,838 and 4,991,847, both to Rudell et al., disclose a timed water release toy comprised of a mechanical timer, liquid filled membrane, and an opening mechanism. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,375 to Sweeney discloses a ball toy with an electronic timing device and a digitized voice module. The addition of a random time element to the simple game of catch increases the interest somewhat, but the required skill level is relatively low.
Another throw-and-catch game is “Top It”®, an electronic game manufactured by Hasbro, Inc. of Pawtucket, R I. The game is comprised of a hand-held device with three distinct catching areas and a passive bean-bag that is flipped into the air. When the game is played, a voice command directs the player flip the bag into the air and catch it in a specific catching area on the hand-held device. This game adds simple logic to the physical act of throw-and-catch, creating a more interesting game. Unfortunately, this game has only one bean bag to manipulate and only one hand of the player is involved which limits the number of possible moves and leads to boredom.